Boston University Central turned into the set of a ‘70s dating show on Friday for “The Dating Game.”
About 80 people attended the event which was held in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
“I sucked at dating so I wanted to find a solution for myself,” said Thomas Edwards, founder of the dating coach business called The Professional Wingman. “I started a blog, as a log of my activities, and it got picked up as a source for dating advice.”
As host of “The Dating Game,” Edwards began by explaining the rules to the audience.
“The contestant can ask the three bachelors any question. . .The winners will hang out in the Love Seat,” he said, referring to a red sofa.
“This is going to be like a dating game show; something fun to do for Valentine’s Day,” said Amanda DoAmaral, a School of Education junior who helped organize the show.
“We were careful about choosing the contestants,” said Reese Lichtenstein, a College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education junior who also helped organize the show.
“All of them have a good sense of humor and will be able to play off each other and play off the audience. We kind of based it on the ‘70s dating game show set up.”
Some of the crowd attended to root for their friends who were on the show.
“My friend is on it. We’ll cheer the loudest,” said Sargent College freshman Megan Richmond. “I’ve seen shows like this on TV, like on comedy skits, but never for real.”
“My friend is on the show and I’m really excited. I really hope she gets a date,” said Kerry Cashman, a School of Hospitality Administration junior.
Other students said they attended out of curiosity.
“I was intrigued by the idea that the guy won’t be able to see who the girls are because of the black screen in the middle,” said Liz Lieber, a freshman in the College of Communication. “I want to see their reaction at the end.”
There were three rounds of the show, with new contestants every round. As the bachelors arrived on the floor, the contestants were blindfolded.
“What would we name our first kid?” asked the female contestant in the first round.
The anonymous bachelors each rattled off their answers. “Nebuchadnezzar,” “Fonzie” and “Whatever you want, baby,” they responded respectively.
At the end, Edwards answered the audience’s dating questions.
“People ask me what they should do on a date, but the secret is, there are no rules to dating,” he said.
Edwards said he learned from his experiences and his past relationships.
“You don’t really understand success until you fail,” he said.
Edwards advised the audience to expand their horizons and move out of their comfort zones.
“There’s a less than 5 percent chance you’ll find someone at bars or clubs. With all these different options, it’s possible to find love. Be forthright, direct and confident,” he said.
“I liked it a lot. It was really funny. I didn’t think it would be this good,” said CAS freshman Kayla Magrath.
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